Essential Sacrifice
by Hope and Perseverance
Summary: An alternate ending/direction of my first story, "Final Sacrifice". What will be the ultimate price in saving Ward and protecting Skye?
1. Chapter 1 - Misfire, v20

**Essential Sacrifice**

**Author's Note:** Hi all! This is the alternate (happier) ending/turn of my other story "Final Sacrifice" ( s/10569043/1/Final-Sacrifice), since some readers are looking for a happier ending to that story. Please read that to understand what's going on. This alternate path picks up in the middle of Chapter 5 ("Misfire") onwards, so there is a bit of repeated language leading up to the change ( s/10569043/5/Final-Sacrifice). There will be some other common wording throughout the chapters, but a happy ending, I promise.

Hope you enjoy this new story direction!

…

**Chapter 1: Misfire, v 2.0**

…

Skye smiled at the brother reunion as Ward and Elliot embraced. Her own tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she shall how happy and free Grant Ward looked, nothing like the tormented facade he wore before. This was the man she knew, who loves his brother and would do anything to save him. Here was a man who seemed to have just found his hope in life again.

The brothers finally released each other, and Ward patted his brother on the shoulders before turning his attention to Skye. He walked over to her and took her hand, lightly rubbing it. "Thank you," he warmly said. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

She was so shocked at his sudden tenderness that all she could do was nod and beam back. A flutter of hope also erupted in her heart too. His eyes lingered its stare in hers, speaking all the unspoken words of appreciation, faithfulness, and hope to her in their brilliance.

Elliot watched his brother and Skye share their moment together, a smile also tugging at his lips. It was clear that there was a special bond between them, and though he can't say for sure what type, he had a pretty good idea.

It's complicated.

Meanwhile, from the close distance, Garrett was too preoccupied fuming and watching his plans crumble to realize that his gun was suddenly twisted out of his hand, knees were kicked to be buckled, and Trip had his arms in a bind. He leaned down to Garrett's ear and spoke, "How ironic that the first move you taught me is the last one to be used on you."

Garrett glared at him. "You little—"

"I wouldn't finish that," Trip said, resting the barrel of his gun to his former mentor's skull. "Because I've improved how this hold can go. One wrong move and you choose between a blown off head, or a snapped neck. You're going to pay for all the crimes you've committed and to ever have you walk through the doors of SHIELD that stained its reputation from day one. You caused so much pain in countless families through Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. and killed off so many of your recruits that I don't want to know what Coulson would do when he deals with you. [Garrett narrows his eyes at him] And yes, he's alive still. Takes more than just your little HYDRA guards from dismantling us."

Garrett struggled in Trip's arms and tried to move, but Trip just pulled him up and shoved him forward.

But Garrett had more tricks up his sleeve. After a moment of stunned anger, he suddenly sent Trip flying to the direction of Ward, Elliot, and Skye, who all were knocked down at the sheer impact of Trip's body almost 10 feet away.

"Me letting you live after your second deflection from HYDRA was one of the worst decisions I've ever made," Garrett fumed. "I knew you couldn't get away from the girl and the team."

They all groaned. Skye and Ward sat up easily, but Trip and Elliot were unconscious. Skye glanced up and saw Garrett victoriously standing over them with a mini-aerial splicer in his palm, small enough to stay hidden in his hand, but powerful enough to send anything above waist level flying. "How—" she started.

"He made have improved that move, but I created it," Garrett replied, now picking up the gun that Trip restrained from him. "Never underestimate what your eyes can't see."

Ward turned his eyes in time to see Garrett aim the gun at Skye. Without second thought, he lounged and grabbed her just in time before Garrett fired the shot. Both landed on the ground with Ward's arms securely cocooned around Skye, and just as quickly, he drew out his gun and shot at Garrett's hand that held his gun, knocking his gun out of his hand eliciting a strained yell of pain. He pushed himself up and fired at Garrett again, this time in his chest. With pained and angry eyes, he stood watching his mentor crumple to the ground, motionless.

Ward fell to knees and just sat there, stunned. Here lies his former mentor, lifeless in front of him in a pool of his own blood. His mind flashed back to so many memories with this man who he thought was a father-figure, who thought had his best interests in mind, despite his cruelty. But no, he was just cruel.

Skye pushed herself up and recounted the past several seconds. Her life just flashed before her eyes as she stared down the barrel of Garrett's gun right before Ward pulled her to him for safety. She looked over to her side and saw Ward sitting there, stunned and not moving. She crawled over to him and shook him by his shoulder. "Ward?"

No response.

"Ward, are you—"

While still staring straight ahead at Garrett, he uttered, "15 years. I've followed this bastard for 15 years. Never doubted he was tough, but also never doubted he was my savior from a lifetime of doom in jail. Never thought he would lie to me, since my life started off as so much a lie…turns out he was lying all along. The worse one of all."

Skye scooted closer to kneel beside him, watching him carefully. She knew he was in a state of shock, still taking in the quick minutes that had just transpired: him finding out about the truth of his duties, his life, his brother.

After a few more seconds of stillness watching Garrett's lifeless body, he turned to her and finally spoke again. "How…why…"

Skye solemnly smiled. "Coulson found a flash drive during our escape from Cybertek last time. At first he thought it was more useful files from HYDRA, but it turned out to be all the documentation about you, Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T., and all other HYDRA soldiers roped into the effort. I heard your conversations with Garrett. I admit that I doubted you at first, but after watching those feeds and documents, and the setbacks you had to do in order to protect me…I finally understood. He used your mind against you. You didn't even know what HYDRA was when you joined. That's how Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. started; manipulating people into ransoming their closest fears to a false promise of a better life."

Ward sighed. "How can I ever start over again? After all the things I've done…I never aligned myself with HYDRA. All this time, I was convinced that it was because I needed to save John by finding that serum. But now—that was just one of his disposable projects. (quick glance to Garrett's body) And I just killed him. How is this any different than all the horrible crimes I've committed…? How can you be so convinced to believe in me?"

"I believe in starting over," she reasoned. "I know you can. You hurt me, Ward, but it doesn't mean…"

He reached up and held her face, tracing his thumb over her cheek, as Skye trailed off from her words into silence with silent joy. Tears of happiness shimmered in her eyes as she leaned into his touch. He never thought that he would be able to be in this position ever again, so close to the girl he loves. Skye returned a smile of her own, hope slowly being restored in her eyes as she savored his hand on her face. THIS was the man that she fell in love with: someone who had a genuine care for her and abiding to find the truth he was meant to find.

His eyes glimmered with relief, and a small crack of smile—a rare but extremely charming smile—appeared on his lips. It was the same smile he shown her when they were hiding in the utility closet a while ago in the Hub before the revealing of HYDRA—before their first kiss. Ward found himself again. He was finally free, finally back to feeling his true self, the self he found when he was sent to "spy" on Coulson's team. Grant Ward, agent of SHIELD—not Grant Ward, HYDRA sleeper agent.

"_We_ can start over," she emphasized, calmly smiling. "It won't be an easy road, but you can do it. I'll be here to support you. Coulson and everyone will." She knows Coulson was listening on the other side, though no comment was heard from him. She readjusted her sitting position on her side to lean closer to him as she spoke, her eyes with genuine glimmer. She reached her arm to hold his upper left arm. "I believe in you."

He faintly nodded, his smile growing wider. He knows his road would be a long one, but with Skye's support on his side, nothing will be too hard for him to handle. His heart soared at Skye's emphasis of "we" in her statement. _She hasn't given up on us yet_, he thought. "I know. I finally feel free. I finally have a new purpose in my life. I—"

He was cut off by Skye's sudden wide-eyes jerking from him to her left. Before Ward could register what was happening, Skye threw herself around him and tackled him to the ground. It was then—or right before—he remembered he heard a gunshot. On instinct, he wrapped his arms around her, the back of his head thudding against the gravel from Skye's impact to his body. He groaned in the sudden, dazed pain and tried to push Skye off to sit up, only to register in his mind—_Skye wasn't moving_.

Her small frame remained wrapped around him while he frantically shoved himself up with one hand while the other remained around her. Ward shook her. "Skye…?"

He glanced down and his breath caught in his lungs, making him wanting to hurl. His eyes trailed to the bullet wound to her left of her back, a fleshy hole gaping wide and blood so neatly and profusely draining out of her, soaking her shirt and now onto Ward's arm. He wanted to scream, but all he could was croak. "Skye…! Oh my god…no!"

He glanced up and saw Garrett, barely conscious from the ground here he lay, with the gun now directly at Ward's head. He was coughing out blood from his mouth as he struggled to aim his gun more steadily. "You won't ruin my plans, Grant. I've come too far—to let you and your girl take that away from me. I'm so close—I can only eliminate you both." He set his finger on the trigger to pull it—

-but he never did.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG BANG!

Ward watched as his former mentor collapsed to the ground, dead for real this time. Only, he wasn't the one who fired the last shots. He looked behind him and saw Trip sitting with his second hand gun aimed in the direction where Garrett once stood, pushing himself up.

Both men made some brief eye contact before Ward hurried his attention back to Skye. "Skye? Please…?" He turned her over. Her eyes were closed, but she was regaining consciousness. "Skye…"

She fluttered her eyelids open. "Ward…" she softly said. "You okay?"

He grimaced. "I'm fine," he said, voice shaking and tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Why? Why did you have to save me? Why—"

Skye gently shook her head, eyes partially open. "You can…start over. You and Elliot together. It wasn't meant to be this way…"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

She coughed, and he propped her up even higher on his lap, his left arm and increasingly bloody hand applying pressure to the wound. _Oh god, oh god, oh god_, he thought, panicking. Each cough meant more blood escaping the hole that has been growing on her body. He felt so powerless. "Grant…"

"I'm here Skye," he begged. He knew that in the few times she called him Grant, it was serious. "Skye…[turns his head] TRIP—"

Trip was already at his side before he could continue. He felt for her pulse on her wrist and looked down where Ward's hand was trying so hard to alleviate the bleeding. A pained expression crawled on his face as he glanced up at Ward. Trip was not a man to remain silent normally, and though he didn't know him very well, Ward was trained to read expressions. An expression like this only meant…

"NO! WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!" Ward yelled, breathing heavier. "Please! Get Coulson on the comms [grabbed Trip's shoulder to him] Coulson! Skye's hurt! Please, she needs help! Please! [pushes Trip back] Where's the van? Where's the medical vehicle?"

"Grant…"

His attention snapped back down at her again. "Skye?"

"…You…me…us," she coughed. A small trail of blood left her lips. With each shallow breath she took, she felt colder and colder. "Too short. Too late…"

"No. It's not too late. Don't you dare. Don't you dare give up, Skye," Ward warned, while Trip was ripping his own shirt to create a bandage to stop the bleeding. "We're getting you help soon, okay? Stay with us!"

"We're parked outside the complex not too far from here," Trip answered, quickly handing the ripped hem of his shirt to where Ward's hand was. "I'll get Elliot—"

"No need," Elliot's voice came beside them, strained, but strong. Worry and guilt was etched all over his face. "I'm fine. Help her, help Skye!" Trip grabbed him and he stood up fully, while Ward carefully propped Skye up in his arms to carry her bridal style.

"This way!" Trip led the way while he looped an arm around Elliot to run—rather, jog—to the direction of their vehicle.

Ward looked down again at Skye, whose eyes were fluttering open and close. He could tell she was struggling. "Come on Skye, stay awake," he ordered, feeling the tears growing larger in the corners of his eyes. He didn't want to focus on it, but in the corner of his eyes, he could see a lengthy bloody trail being left behind by Skye as he carried her out. She was losing blood way too fast.

"You—start over," she whispers. "Me…too late…"

"NO! You can NOT sleep Skye! Stay awake!"

He felt a sudden movement in his arms and looked down. Skye's head collapsed to his chest, and her whole form fell limp. Ward felt the pit of his stomach free-fall and almost dropped her, but thankfully gripped on tighter to her. "No…SKYE!"

Trip and Elliot darted their heads around, seeing Ward's panicked expression drain the colors on his face. He dipped his head to her neck to feel for a pulse—there was none. "No…please…"

"Grant, keep going! Don't stop!" Elliot yelled.

Ward nodded and started running again. He refuses to think it. Their vehicle couldn't be far now. _Simmons will be there, and she'll know what to do_, he thought, clinging to that very hope to keep him sane. _She's done it before. She'll save her. Please Skye, please hang on a bit longer. We can start over—please.._.

"Agent Triplett!"

His prayers were answered. The familiar voice rang through the complex as Simmons was seen running with Coulson and towards them. All of Ward's fears of seeing his former team were nonexistent now with Skye in his arms. He didn't care; Skye needed help, Elliot needed help. His fate be damned.

"Skye's been shot!" Trip yelled. "She needs medical, NOW!"

…


	2. Chapter 2 - Mishap

**Chapter 2: Mishap**

**Author's Note: **This story is going to be several chapters long, haven't decided the exact number yet. Hope you get a good dose of angst in this chapter, with some good bonding time between characters. Enjoy!

…

The rest of the team for a long second stared at the bewildering picture in front of them: their traitorous friend (if they could even call him that) is holding a gravely injured member of their own in his arms. What was Ward planning to do with Skye? And them?

"SKYE!" screamed Simmons.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!" May yelled, charging at Ward and Skye.

Though he had learned to not fear the Calvary, this was one time that he did. He stepped back and brought Skye closer to him in his arms, shielding her from potential impact that May was going to do to him. "She was—"

"MAY!" Coulson ordered, grabbing her just in time before she launched a kick to Ward's face. "Stop this! Skye's the priority right now!"

Ward never felt so grateful to see his former boss than this moment. "Please, PLEASE, we need to get her to your medical van!"

"It was Garrett," Trip spoke, stepping forward. "She was trying to protect Ward, and she got shot in process."

Coulson stared at him in disbelief. How could this happen? He knew that Skye wanted to tell Ward the truth about his brother, and to have heard the back and forth between them over the comms…she still gone out of her way to save him.

"This way!" Coulson yelled, coaxing them all to follow him. Ward nodded and eagerly dashed up to keep up with his former boss.

Moments later, they saw their main vehicle arrive, courtesy of Fitz barreling towards them. The vehicle screeched to a halt, and as soon as Fitz threw open the back double doors, Ward shoved himself inside. "Get out of my way!"

Fitz stumbled back. "Wait, Ward—?"

"Skye was shot!" Ward yelled, setting her down on the closest apparatus and clearing things out of the way. "She needs help! [turns to Fitzsimmons] PLEASE, please help her!"

Fitzsimmons didn't need to be told twice. They jumped to their work, clearing out the area and pulling their materials out. He tried to reach to hold Skye's hand, but he was promptly shoved back and practically thrown out of van by May. "You stay away from her," she gritted through her teeth. "Get out. There's no room for SHIELD traitors like you."

He didn't bother to fight or defend himself from them. Coulson just stepped up and pulled him back into the vehicle, along with Trip, who was still propping up Elliot. He had more pressing matters in his hands. "We set this place to blow in 2 minutes, and we need to get out NOW," he said, turning to May and Ward. "We have time to deal with everything else later. Let's go!"

Moments later, several ginormous explosions were heard in the distance as the team drove away. Ward didn't even notice. He was too dazed watching Fitzsimmons treat Skye and Trip treating Elliot to care.

It's as if his whole world came crashing down on him, and he didn't even hear a thing.

…

When they got to the hospital, Skye was immediately wheeled into surgery, with Elliot quickly following after for treating his injuries. Ward just slid down the wall of the waiting area dazed, with silent tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes as he recall the day's earlier events. He still couldn't believe that he was lied to all these years, and the very man who had thought to be a father to him not only stole his brother away from him but also quite possibly killed the love of his life. And now, she possibly is only hanging by a thread.

Coulson slowly walked over and crouched down to him. His face wore an unreadable look, masking any anger, hesitancy, or empathy he felt towards the younger agent in front of him. "Ward, you can't stay here." Did he mean staying on the floor, or staying in the same room/facility as them?

Ward didn't even notice. He had chosen at that moment to look at himself: his arms, shirt, pants…and most of all his hands, all of which were covered in Skye's blood. Flashbacks of the events transpiring earlier that day bombarded his mind, most of all the scene of Skye shielding him from getting shot.

The gunshot that Garrett fired at her…

The shots that Trip fired back…

_**BANG!**_

_**BANG!**_

_**BANG BANG!**_

His screams…

_**Skye…! NO!**_

_**Why did you have to save me?**_

_**Where's the medical vehicle?**_

_**No…SKYE!**_

His begging to save her…

_**NO! WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!**_

_**You can NOT sleep Skye!**_

_**No…please!**_

_**Skye's hurt! Please, she needs help!**_

_**NO!**_

Elliot yelling at him…

His breathing started getting heavier, more uneven, and his body started to tremble. The rest of the team turned their attention him, rattled by the crumbling form of the specialist in front of them. He continued staring at his bloody hands and started to hyperventilate.

Fitz dashed over. "Ward? Ward? It's me, Fitz…can you hear me?"

No answer. Ward continued to making deeper and deeper inhaling sounds, and there was no acknowledgement that he was aware that Fitz was there.

Simmons followed Fitz, and though wary of Ward's loyalties, she pushed that aside mentally to focus on the patient in front of her. "Ward? You need to breathe…breathe…"

"Ward! Snap out of it!" Coulson yelled, slapping his shoulder. "Ward!"

There was still no answer from him. Sweat started dripping down his forehead and he whimpered, "Please…please don't die. Please don't die Skye. You can't leave me…you can't…you can't…I'm sorry, you can't…"

"He needs to be sedated!" Simmons yelled, scrambling up. "He needs to breathe—"

Fitz jumped up before she did and ran off. "I'll get the nurse!" he yelled, eager to help his forever-viewed friend.

Trip and May tried to help him to a chair, and his body was just unresponsive to any movement at that point. He was too far gone in his mind to notice anything done to him.

In a blur, he suddenly felt lighter as he felt himself being laid on a platform…and moments later, his world turned dark.

…

"_Ward?"_

_He turned to her in his sitting position on the ground...how did he get here? "Skye?"_

"_We can start over," she spoke, smiling. "It won't be an easy road, but you can do it. I'll be here to support you. Coulson and everyone will."_

_He nods and smiles too, taking her hand. "I know. I—"_

_POW!_

_He's suddenly on the ground, with Skye sprawled over him. He pushes himself up, and Skye…? "NO! SKYE!"_

_She didn't respond. Turning her over, her eyes were still closed, and he noticed the copious amount blood draining out of her onto his hands, clothes, and the ground. He desperately shook her, begging, "Please, Skye….please, please, please don't…"_

_A laughed was heard cackling in the distance. It was Garrett, still aiming his gun at the direction of where they both were. "She was a weakness Grant. I won't let her ruin my plans."_

"_GRANT!"_

_Ward turns to his side and saw Elliot lying on the ground, cover in bruises. "Elliot?"_

"_You got to get out of here! He's going to kill you if you don't leave HYDRA! Please—"_

_BANG!_

"_ELLIOT!"_

_Garrett's shot instantly knocks Elliot down, leaving his lifeless body on the ground. Ward shoots his head up in fear, now staring down the barrel of the gun poised right in front of his face. _

"_He will ruin my plans too. So will you." He sets to pull the trigger…_

_._

_._

"Grant?"

Ward jerks awake and notices his vision was blurry. Ugh. The lights were too bright. The hum of the background noises and voices were annoying. He gasps and blinks a few times before looking around.

He was lying on a hospital bed, and his body feels really stiff. He looks down and notices that there was no blanket. He tries to look at his hands, but notices his left hand was cuffed to the bed. Both hands (as well as his arms) were clean of the blood that stained there earlier.

"You feeling better?"

He finally turns to the voice on his right. Elliot was sitting by his bed, his arms and rib cage bandaged up. He looked pretty tired, but in good spirits.

"What happened?" Ward whispered.

"You had a panic attack," Elliot said. "You were hyperventilating, and doctors had to sedate you."

"Sedate me? Why—"

The memories came tumbling back to him. The shots. The screams. The blood, oh…the blood…

"SKYE!" he yelped, trying to get up only to be held back by the handcuffs. He winced at the sudden scraping on his wrist against the metal.

Elliot reached down to comfort him. "Hey, hey, calm down. Don't try to get up yet. Your boss Coulson said he needed to keep you restrained so you won't hurt yourself."

_Hurt myself, or hurt them?_ he thought.

"Skye's in surgery," Elliot continued. "Still not done yet."

Ward nodded in relief before turning to him, tiredly. "You're really here…you're real. You're not hurt?"

"What, this [pointing to his arms and rib cage]? Hell yeah it does, but some minor fractures, and some internal bleeding," he answered, shrugging. "It seemed really bad because I was dehydrated for a couple days. They've wrapped me up and hooked me up to this IV thingy [points to bag] and said I was fine. Coulson said you were hyperventilating, and you needed some company. So I wanted this chance to stay with you."

_Coulson. He knows about my betrayal. But why treat me so—nice?_ He thought.

"Is it true then?"

Ward glanced over to his brother, who now held a questionable look on his face. "What is?"

"HYDRA," Elliot answered. "You're HYDRA. Is that true?"

He turned away from him, unable to meet the disappointing look on his face. Might as well start from the beginning. "I never swore allegiance with them," he responded. "I was desperate. Garrett pulled me out of juvie when I was young, and I thought I owed that change in my life to him. Everything. I never even heard of HYDRA when he told me who he really was; I just thought it was another government crime organization like the CIA. He said I had off the charts potential in joining."

"So you just went with him."

"Anything to get out of that forest and a lifetime behind bars. But after joining SHIELD as an undercover HYDRA agent, I heard what HYDRA really was. I wanted to find you in the process, because at the time, I knew that SHIELD can track where family would be. [turns to him] After I found out what HYDRA really was, I wanted to leave and asked John to respectfully accept my resignation, thanking him for all he's done in the process. I told him I wanted to find you, and asked him to help. He understood and would work on finding you."

"And, that's how…"

"After a week or so, he came back to me with a really 'un-John' look on his face. He said that you were in a car accident trying to find me, and that he was sorry. I was—I was—" He couldn't continue. His voice started to crack.

Elliot placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before he could continue. "I couldn't believe it. Hope, all that hope over those years of being able to find you, knowing that SHIELD had the means to do so…gone. Destroyed. John was pretty supportive and took me to the morgue. I saw you, and I knew—it was too late."

Elliot shook his head, knowing where the story was going.

"It was about that same time when John started getting sick, and he needed to find this cure before it was too late for him. I had just lost you, and now I was about to lose him too—after all he's done for me, I knew, I owed it to him to stay and help him. It meant to find the cure, okay—I would stay. I couldn't stand losing another person close to me. Not yet, not ever. I stayed with him, and only him—the soldier part of me wanted to stay compartmentalized towards everything, and not even letting my true allegiances to SHIELD show through while I was with him."

Elliot sighed and sat back. "I _was_ in a car accident, actually," he said. "I was driving to meet that John guy. He said he found you and would take me to see you. But part way on the road in Kansas, I remember some black SUV cutting me off at the edge of the road, and my car rolled. It was just me in the car, but soon after the car smashed into the wall, a couple of guys grabbed me out and drugged me somehow; no other serious injuries thankfully. I just remember waking up in a hospital after several days, and some agent dude told me the news that you were dead. [looks at him] Looks like we were both played."

Ward hummed in anger. "That son of a bitch. Setting us up like that. He knew I wanted to leave and find you, and shooting Skye—TWICE! That—that—damnit, I just wish I shot him myself. Killed him myself, instead of letting Trip having the honors."

"Trip was also his recruit," Elliot slowly stated. "Is he…?"

"No, he's not HYDRA," Ward finished for him. "I know that for a fact. He comes from a family history of Howling Commandos, so there's no way he's HYDRA."

Elliot sank back in relief. "He's a cool guy. I like him."

Ward nodded and turned to him again. "So, am I still that big jerk of a brother to you when we were kids? An extra side of bad now with HYDRA in my résumé?"

He shook his head. "You did some horrible things, but when you were young, it was Maynard's fault. I know that now. And now, with HYDRA, you never were really part of them. It was out of obligation."

"If only it were just that simple…I don't even know how I can even start explaining to Coulson…"

"You can. Just start."

Both Elliot and Ward turned their heads to find Coulson leaning against the doorway. Ward tried to sit up again, and Elliot slowly got up.

"Sir…"

"I heard what you two were saying," Coulson said. "I just want to know now…what are you planning to do about it?"

…


	3. Chapter 3 - Mishandle

**Chapter 3: Mishandle**

"No more secrets," Coulson said, walking in, staring straight at Ward with serious eyes. "I am giving you a chance, the only chance, to come clean with your true allegiances. You owe it to yourself, my team, and your brother. Now spill."

Ward nodded his head and sighed. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough that I am willing to give you a chance to explain yourself further, or if you want me to alert Agent Hill for a quick send off, that can be arranged too," Coulson responded. Internally, he was breaking apart for the young agent in front of him. He knew from the files of the flash drive and from what he heard what Ward is truly aligned to. He needed for him to say it out loud himself, to finally admit the truth to himself and others.

Elliot moved aside to allow Coulson to sit, but he kindly refused his offer. He just stood there and watched Ward intently, waiting for his response.

Ward closed his eyes and sighed. He took several deep breaths before starting. "I'm so tired of everything; all the orders, all the lies. I don't swear any allegiance to HYDRA, and never will. [looks up] Only to SHIELD, and before, to Garrett. He needed to find the drug that saved you, and that's why I was put on your team. Fury selected the circumstances for the team, but Garrett pulled some favors to get me on it. I'm sorry. I didn't think and didn't want to grow close to you guys, but I did. And I know sorry isn't enough. It will never be enough, especially if Skye—Skye—"

He couldn't speak anymore. He leaned his head into his uncuffed hand and bit down on his lips. Moisture could be felt stinging the edges of his eyes as and he knew if he spoke anymore, the sobs would return.

Elliot moved to comfort him, but Ward just shook his head and looked aside. "I don't know why she would—that she felt—"

"Just tell me," Coulson said, sternly. "What were you willing to do for HYDRA?"

His head shot straight up to Coulson. "Nothing. I never wanted to do anything for the purposes of HYDRA. I only wanted to do what Garrett wanted—"

"Who was HYDRA," Coulson deadpanned.

"He wanted me to make sure that the access to your drug was obtained," Ward asserted. "In any ways possible. Asking SHIELD co-ops. Working with agents who were part of the battle of New York. Invading labs that have any record of working with SHIELD. And—"

"That also included killing SHIELD agents, if you hadn't noticed."

Ward shook his head. "Most of the killing I was ordered to do was to eliminate targets in HYDRA's radar."

"Including getting Skye shot?"

Ward eyes widened at that point and he eagerly shook his head. "No, I had nothing to do with that, I swear! I would never, ever let anything happen to her. That was the last straw. I told Garrett that I was done with HYDRA at that point, to have someone he knew I cared about getting hurt…no. That was it."

"And you still stayed?"

"He threatened that if I left, he would kill Skye, for real," he solemnly spoke. "I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted so bad, _so bad_, to get out. But he made it very clear that if I ever tried, that she would be the first person to go. [eyes begging with Coulson] I had no choice. I couldn't risk her, or any of you, getting killed. I tried to flake and do poorly in my job so Garrett would just find a replacement for me and let me be free. But at the same time, whenever I didn't perform up to par, he would make sure I 'learn' my lesson. I still have some scars from those lessons."

Coulson automatically knew what he meant; the physical punishments and personal threats were not foreign to the agent while he was in the project, according to the flash drive. He walked over to his bed and sat on it; this time, Elliot did move aside. He kept his gaze fixated on his former team member and saw nothing but confusion, sadness, and guilt written all over his features. "How much do you know about Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T.?"

"I never even heard of it until Skye told me at first, before she…" he trailed off again, trying to regain his composure.

At this, Coulson's expression completely melted into empathy. He reached down to pat Ward's leg, reassuring that he was still listening. Ward readjusted himself before continuing, "What is it? All I know was that I was supposed to be executed at the end."

"It was started by Garrett years ago to build a group of loyal soldiers for him," Coulson explained. "You were his first subject. He saw how vulnerable you were, and took advantage of the fact of how you feel towards him as a mentor, a savior, and use that to his advantage. You were such a success to him that he wanted an army to complete missions sometimes in accordance to SHIELD, but in reality for HYDRA, to eliminate threats that prevent its organization from flourishing. Mostly, that meant attachments to this world, "unworthy" people that needed to be cleansed from this earth. It was a very effective recruiting tool by Garrett, because everyone who joined—"

"—owed him somehow," Ward finished for him, dawning at the realization. "Or _thought_ they owed him. He needed to make sure that no one was to spill the secrets on the entire operation, and those who showed any wavering to the project, they were to be eliminated. [grumbles] He dared to lie to me about Elliot, and he had Skye shot! I wished I could have left HYDRA sooner, and I could've found out earlier. If I left HYDRA sooner, I could've done my own search for Elliot for real, and I could've stopped so many things from happening."

"We can't go back to change the past," Coulson said. "The most important thing is about the future. You gave your life to a mad man to a corrupt organization. As soon as Skye heard about Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T., she was adamant about saving you and the rest of the victims. She wanted you to start over, as with everyone else. So tell me, Agent Ward…in light of these new developments, how are you going to start over? What are you planning to do for yourself? For Elliot?"

Ward looked at his boss closely. Did this mean that he was given another chance? Does this mean Coulson understands? "Anything to right the wrongs I did," he answered sincerely.

"It's not going to be an easy road, Ward. You've lost all the trust I had in you. Though I know that you're not truly affiliated with HYDRA, it doesn't mean that you won't receive disciplinary action for your crimes."

"Understood, sir."

"You'll be spending a lot of time thinking about what you have done, alone, and who you are now, now that Garrett is no longer holding all the cards to your life," he continued. "You need to figure out what you will do afterwards. If you say your true allegiance is to SHIELD, then I see no issues for you to spill HYDRA secrets to prevent them from furthering their plans."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Ward replied, suddenly tense. "No matter what happens though, can you please promise this one thing? One thing only, and I can serve my time, whatever it may be."

Coulson slowly nodded. Ward looked up at Elliot and back at Coulson again. "Please protect Skye and Elliot for me. I can't be around to protect either of them anymore. I'm more than grateful that you already didn't shoot me when you saw me earlier or now—you've already done more for me in these several months than Garrett has done for me in these 15 years. Once I know that Skye is okay and recovering, I will go with Agent Hill."

"Grant—"

"No Elliot," he argued, gently pushing aside his hand. "It's time I do this right. It's time that I picked up where I left off that many years ago in that juvie hall. Serve my time, and then get out, the right way. No shortcuts."

Coulson inwardly smiled at the young agent, but his face remained indifferent. He was relieved to finally see him acknowledge the path that he had chosen and he alone—he was taking responsibility for his own actions while putting those he cares about first. Though trust will take a very, very long time to heal for Coulson, he knew that this was the first step in the right direction. And that, he can live with. He will need his help in bringing down HYDRA and thus rebuilding SHIELD. Sometimes, the small of secrets can be the biggest of steps to right the wrongs that were made.

"I promise you, Ward. I will make sure that Elliot is safe and away from HYDRA's radar, and Skye has us to protect her. As for arrangements, we'll set it up after we wait to hear about Skye's cond—"

He was suddenly interrupted by a loud squeak of shoes in the doorway to Ward's room. The three men turned and saw Fitz standing there with a paled, somber look on his face.

It only took a brief moment to react, but Coulson's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ward beat him to it. "Is Skye—"

"They hit an artery," Fitz replied, breathless.

…


	4. Chapter 4 - Miscalculated

**Chapter 4: Miscalculated**

**Author's Note:** A little longer chapter, but hope you enjoy it. It covers some core interactions between members of the story before leading to the next chapters.

…

It was as if someone shot him, or someone sucker punching his gut upon hearing Fitz's words; Ward glanced over to Coulson, who looked to share the same reaction.

"Not again," Coulson mumbled, recalling the events of Italy. "Not again…"

"Coulson!" Ward yelled, vehemently yanking on the cuff as he jumped off the bed. "You gotta let me out…I need to see her, _please_—"

"You stay right here!" he ordered, hurrying towards Fitz.

"COULSON!"

"The doctors hit an artery while trying to sew her up," Fitz explained. "She already lost too much blood that she went into shock again—"

"Let's go!" Coulson ordered.

"—but the hospital ran out of type O- for transfusion!" Fitz yelled, stopping Coulson. "She has O- blood! They can't transfuse any other blood type to her, and they say they need another hour before the closest facility with blood can deliver!"

Coulson stopped in his tracks, while Ward and Elliot froze. "No…no…" Coulson started.

Ward shook his head. "She can't wait that long! Bring me there. Transfuse my blood. Take it all. Coulson let me go!" He tugged on the cuffs again, banging them into the metal arms of the bed in protest.

"You can't just transfuse any blood—"

"I have type O," Ward protested. "And right now, this is the closest solution than waiting a whole hour to get the blood. Now take me over there, before anything else happens!"

Fitz nodded. Coulson immediately complied and unlocked Ward from the bed, not failing to notice to desperation in his features as his scrambled past him when the rattling of the metal cuffs was heard. He didn't even need directions; it was as if he already knew where to go, and he was just following his heart.

_Hang on Skye_, he thought. _You can't leave me. Not yet. Not ever. You promised to be there to support me! You can't just save me and leave me! We have so much to do—I have so much to say to you…_

…

The men had just rounded the corner in time to hear Simmons yelling at the nurse.

"What do you mean the bleeding won't stop?!" Simmons yelled.

The nurse shook her head. "The doctors are trying everything possible, including anticoagulants, but that's getting too dangerous to continue for the fear of producing blood clots that could stop her heart. Her best chance right now is to continue getting sewn up to stop the bleeding. But, she's losing too much blood, on top of what she already lost from her injuries. As soon as the blood gets here, we have to give her a transfusion in order to prevent shock or other issues from arising."

"But one hour is too long! How can this hospital not have enough blood? That's just ridiculous!" May jumped in, impatient. It was rare to see the Calvary lose her cool, but this was too personal.

"She needs Type O-, which is the most highly demanded blood type," the nurse answered. "Type O- patients cannot receive transfusions from any other blood types for fear of rejection. If rejected, the patient will be in much more danger than she is now, especially with her declining state. Right now, all we can do is let the doctors continue working on her, and we're giving her more drugs to prevent her blood pressure from dropping—"

"Take mine!"

Simmons and the rest of the people there turned. Ward ran up to the nurse and held out his arm, begging, "Take my blood. I'm type O. We can't wait that long to have blood delivered here."

The nurse looked between the team members, all pleading desperately for her answer. "We can't just transfuse your blood without screening it. It's a legal procedure—"

"I don't care about your damn procedures!" Ward yelled. "All I care about it making sure that girl in there doesn't die. She needs blood, and an hour is too late for her. Check my records. I have them, and they're clean from any disease. Please!"

The nurse waited a moment longer before replying, "I'll go check with the doctors." With that, she went back in the operating room.

Ward slumped against the wall, Elliot quickly going to his side. "Wait to see what the doctor says," Elliot encouraged. "We can't do much else."

"Just take my blood, all of it," Ward hazily spoke. "I don't care. She's in there because of me. If she doesn't make it, I have no purpose in my life anymore. She _can't_ die, she just can't—"

"She won't," Trip said, coming to him. "Skye's strong. She won't give up that easily. She may have given her life for SHIELD, but we are going to give it back to her."

Ward looked at his former team mate, who cracked a small smile. Trip always seemed to have the words to say at the right time.

Just then, the nurse shoved open the operating room doors and ran out, the team instantly congregating around her.

"Well?" Trip asked.

She faced Ward. "Sir, you come with me to get ready. You will need to change into scrubs to enter the operating room."

Relieved, he immediately nodded his head and followed the nurse down the hallway. It wasn't long before he was out of his clothes and dressed in scrubs as he made his way to the gurney set up for him. The nurse covered him with blankets and wheeled him back down to the hallway to the entrance of the operating room, passing by his team. She paused when the team walked over, and Coulson laid his hand on Ward's arm.

"Thank you," Coulson softly said, barely smiling. The smile that spoke volumes grateful to the man who is now able to save the team member who he had always regarded like a daughter, and now he perhaps had also given him a second chance at life.

Ward nodded. He didn't understand the soft look that Coulson shared in his eyes, nor the hesitantly appreciative looks from the rest of his former team. He just felt warm and strangely numb, nervous at how he would see Skye later, lying next to him.

As he was whisked into the operating room, he strained his neck to see where she was, only to be greeted by a myriad of machines, tools, and a sickening smell of iron. A part of him almost wanted to throw up, but he managed to swallow the urge down when he heard the doctors and nurses talking.

"Is the waiver signed?"

"Yes. I will take full responsibility if there are any problems. How's the patch up going?"

"We fixed the bleeding and managed to extract the bullet out. It was lodged in a couple of branches of the superior mesenteric artery and surrounding tissue."

"That's why when it was extracted, there was a suddenly burst of bleeding."

"Is our donor ready for transfusion?"

Ward glanced to the nurse, who had just taken a quick finger prick from him. "Yes, he's ready," she said. "I confirmed his blood type and there isn't any visible donor rejection according to the test. [looks down at Ward] I need you to relax yourself. Say something if you're starting to feel faint; we don't want you losing consciousness for your safety."

He nodded. "I can handle it. Take whatever you need."

The nurse nodded and pulled aside the operating curtain, revealing an operating stage area before setting up the transfusion apparatus. Ward visibly gulped. There on the bed with a multitude of sterile barriers around her was Skye, facing on her side, towards him. She had a cap to cover her hair, but bunch of tubes and an oxygen line connected to her. He had to turn his face away and take several deep breaths to calm himself down.

_She's here because of me_, he thought. _She's lying here because of me. She's bleeding out because of me…_

The nurse must have noticed his sudden change in demeanor as she leaned over him. "Sir? Are you all right?"

He turned away and exhaled deeply. "I'll be fine. Let's do this."

When the transfusion finally started, Ward chose to stare at a specific set of tiles of the ceiling to avoid looking at Skye's helpless state. But oddly enough, though she was at such a critical state, he felt strangely comforted to be lying next to her. This way, he knew she was alive and near her, even if they're not actively communicating to each other.

He kept thinking back to his earlier conversations that day, between himself and Skye, himself and Elliot, and then with Coulson. Coulson had every right to stay as angry as he seemed when he first saw him at the facility, but he was empathetic. Did he deserve to have empathy?

What were they _really_ feeling towards him? He knew pain and betrayal were eminent, but he sensed…forgiveness? Encouragement? WHY?

Who was he? Now that everything is over, his days as a double agent are coming to a close, who was he now?

Their voices started to play in his head, arguing with his thought process.

**How are you going to start over? What are you planning to do for yourself?**

_I don't know. How can I start over? After all the horrible things I've done? I want to…but it's too late._

**You're HYDRA. Is that true?**

_Only on the surface…but does that matter? I worked for a guy who was._

**You'll be spending a lot of time thinking about what you have done, alone, and who you are now, now that Garrett is no longer holding all the cards to your life.**

_Am I a SHIELD agent? HYDRA agent? Neither? Both?_

… **you never were really part of them [HYDRA]. It was out of obligation.**

_I don't think the rest of the team, or SHIELD, buys that. Maybe except for Skye._

**I am willing to give you a chance to explain yourself further…**

_And I am very grateful that you did. It was more than I deserve._

**We can't go back to change the past. The most important thing is about the future**_._

_My future will be me being locked away for a very long time. Not much to look forward to. _

But then comes the sweet voice of reassurance, restoring part of his faith in his future.

**You can start over. **

_I can? I want to…but how can I?_

**I believe in starting over. **

_Because you're so…good, Skye. I'm not._

**You don't' have to do any of this anymore. No more orders to be taken…I came for them. For you…**

_For me? You came for me?_

**We**** can start over.**

_It's more than anything I've ever wanted or deserved, Skye._

**It won't be an easy road, but you can do it. I'll be here to support you.**

_I know I can face my future, with you by my side_.

**I believe in you.**

.

It was then that Ward realizes who he wants to be.

He doesn't want to be Agent Grant Ward, HYDRA agent or SHIELD agent. He doesn't want to just survive.

He wants to just be Grant Ward, and he wants to _live_. Live to right the wrongs he's done, and live for the girl he loves and the brother he's missed all these years. Even if it means living in a cell, so be it. At least Skye's safe, and Elliot is okay. He needs to make this right. It was going to be tough, but Skye believes in him—and that is enough.

"All done; let's turn the patient back down onto anatomical position," came one of the doctor's voices, jerking Ward out of his thoughts.

The operation curtain was suddenly pulled again to block Ward's view while they readjusted Skye. Once they were done, the curtain was pulled back again, and he was moved closer to her side. He wanted to reach his hand to touch her face, but it was still propped down for the transfusion.

"Blood pressure is slowly going back up," the nurse said. "She's starting to respond."

It was the best news he's heard since they got here.

"However, the donor has already donated past the allowable limit of blood," she continued.

Ward shook his head. "Don't stop it. Keep going."

"You've already donated past the 500mL limit, sir. Any more that you donate you'll start—"

"I'm doing fine. She needs the blood. Keep drawing," Ward begged, trying to deny the feeling of getting tired. "I can do this."

The nurse just nodded her head and went back to her duties. Ward went back to zoning out again by staring at the ceiling, tuning out the surrounding noises. He welcomed the physical tiredness, in all honesty. At least finally, what he was physically feeling matched what he was mentally and emotionally feeling these couple weeks. Ever since the final mission before exposure of HYDRA, he couldn't keep his mental bearings in line. The life of a double agent was so exhausting, and he welcomed the fact that it was finally coming to an end. At least he could then tell the truth and nothing but the truth; he could save others without hiding it, and he could finally be the man he thought he was just pretending to be.

…

Over an hour later, Ward was eventually moved out of the operating room and into his own recovery room, but not without passing the hallway again. His brain was so fuzzy that he wasn't aware that Fitz and Elliot went up to his bed as he was being wheeled out to see him, as he was slipping in and out of sleep.

"Is he okay?" Fitz asked, concerned.

"We need to give him some time to rest," the nurse said. "He was stubborn about it, donating almost twice the allowable limit of blood, so he will be a bit weak in the next several days. After he's well enough, he can go home."

"How's Skye?" Coulson asked.

"Surgery went well," nurse said. "With the blood that this young man donated, plus the new shipment that just came in, her body is starting to respond. We're keeping her in the operating room a little longer to clean up a few things, and then she'll be moved to recovery."

The team visibly sighed in relief. "Thank you. Can we stay with him [motioning to Ward]?" Fitz asked.

"Yes, just a couple at a time; rooms aren't safe with too many people in them."

He nodded; he and Elliot eagerly shuffled after the nurse to the room where they both sat in waiting. By this time, Ward was asleep. Fitz stared at his big brother figure and sighed.

Elliot turned to Fitz and quickly examined the young engineer's downcast look on his face. "You two were buddies?"

Fitz nodded. "Are. We always will be. I just can't grapple with the fact that he's working for HYDRA. Coulson said that he was forced into joining by extreme circumstances, but that still boggles me. I mean, I believe it—I knew there has to be a reason he worked undercover for them. I believe he still is a good person. But still, he could've just come forward and told us from the beginning. He could have told us that he had no choice, and asked us to help. We would've helped him. _I _could've helped him. But now…there was so much damage done, and how will he ever…" He didn't finish his sentence.

After several minutes in silence, Elliot spoke up. "I'm sorry."

Fitz looked at him confused. "What do you have to be sorry about? You were a victim too."

"I wished I could've fought harder when they held me," he continued. "I know Grant. He's always tried to protect me and our sister. He was forced into doing a lot of horrible things by our big brother. I was angry at him too for not fighting back, but I finally understood—he was afraid to. He knew that if he fought back, my sister and I would be hurt even more, let alone Grant. If I fought harder when we were kids, the burden wouldn't have just been on him. If I fought harder when that Garrett guy captured me, I could've escaped and found a way to find him, spare him the trouble of trying to find me."

"Coulson told our team what he and Skye found on a flash drive," Fitz said. "His horrible family history seemed to have repeated itself when Garrett recruited him. He was afraid to hurt Skye, and he had no choice but to stay, after learning you were killed and Garrett was also dying. It was always to protect family, or what he thought to be family, regardless if it was in Garrett, Skye, our team, or you."

Elliot smiled. "You don't seem to condemn him for being HYDRA."

Fitz shook his head. "I'm angry, but I'm glad that my suspicions were true, in a way. I knew that he had to have some extreme reason why he did what he did. He's a good man. He just doesn't think he is."

Elliot patted Fitz's back. "Thank you for being a good friend to Grant. I think sometimes he misses having me and our sister around as family. He's doing just fine with you and the rest of the team. [pause] What's the relationship between Grant and Skye? He seems so—attached to her…"

"Ward is her supervising officer," Fitz said. "He was training her to become a SHIELD agent when she joined. But if you ask me [looks at Elliot], I think it's more than that: more than just supervisor to junior, more than friends. I don't when it started, but recently they both have gotten much closer, at least up until we found out that the truth about him with HYDRA."

Elliot nodded. "I saw the way he spoke to her and protected her earlier while at the facility. From what I gather, she feels the same way—she doesn't want to give up on him. She was willing to do whatever it takes to save him, from himself and Garrett, even means taking a bullet for him. She's a special girl."

"She holds much of our team together. Our lives weren't same ever again since we met her almost a year ago," Fitz said. "And now, I don't know what will happen to Ward, but I know that he and Skye need to sort things out before he goes wherever he goes. We'll see what Coulson says."

Both men sat in silence once again, silently acknowledging the truths they each told. The steady breathing from Ward was a comforting reminder that for at least the next several hours, let's not dwell on the impending disasters that may damage the team, but rather enjoy the peace of togetherness a little while longer.

…

**Author's Note**: Does anyone else know their blood type? =D Type O- is a universal donor (most requested supply of blood), but not a universal receiver of blood types. Fun fact.


	5. Chapter 5 - Missed Me

**Chapter 5: Missed Me**

**Author's Note:** A Ward x Trip chapter, plus Ward's reflection. A little bit of humor here, to lighten up the mood of story. There should be about 2 more chapters after this. Thank you all for reading so far!

Who's excited for Season 2? Yay!

…

"No…"

Trip looked up from the magazine he was reading and peered ahead of him from across the room.

"Skye…please…?"

Ward stirred from his sleep. Trip put down his magazine and walked over to his bed, sitting in the chair next to it. "Hey…Grant, wake up."

"Please don't," he whimpered. "Just hang on…"

Trip shook his shoulder. "Grant…Ward! Wake up!"

"GAH!" Ward gasped, breathing heavily as he opened his eyes. His lids were heavy from dizziness, but he was able to finally focus and find, "Trip?"

"Nightmare?"

He blinked his eyes shut and rubbed his face. "It keeps playing over and over in my head again… How long was I out for?"

"A solid 6 hours," Trip answered. "It's about midnight."

"Where's Elliot?"

"Coulson let him grab a hotel room along with the rest of the team," Trip continued. "He definitely needs his rest after the trauma he's been through."

Ward nods. "Good. He needs time to recover. [glances up] Why aren't you there?"

Trip snorts. "You really think Coulson will just leave a sleeper agent alone, uncuffed, in a hospital room?"

Ward chuckled. "And here I thought you cared. Though, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. How's Skye—?"

"She's in her room, sleeping. Doctors say she probably won't wake up for a couple of days, but her vitals are much stronger now."

Ward struggles to sit up on the bed and pull back the blankets. "I want to see her."

"Whoa, hey [pushes Ward back]. You're still recovering yourself. Let her have her rest; you can see her when she wakes up."

"I doubt Coulson will keep me here any longer than tonight. This will probably be my only chance to see her before Agent Hill arrives to take me away. So please, Trip—let me up…"

"You're not allowed to leave this room without discharge from the doctor. And though you think you feel fine, you donated almost 1L of blood…that, even for the biggest guys, is a dangerous amount of blood to suddenly be taken from your body. You need to rest. We're not so inhumane that you can't recover first before going wherever you need to go."

"I'll rest as soon as I see her. And [pushes Trip's arm aside] I'm going to see her, with or without you."

Ward tries to stand up at that and instantly stumbles, falling to the floor on his knees. Trip immediately comes to his aid and loops his arm around shoulders. "Honestly, you and Elliot—does stubbornness run in your family? You both win the prize of the hardest moving ass of the year."

He blinks his eyes a few times before shaking his head, trying to ward off the dizziness. "I'm not stubborn; I'm just trying to be…be..." He tries to get up but fails again.

"Okay, okay, you're trying to be the better man, got it. But how about tomorrow morning? Skye just got out several hours ago too, and she needs her rest before anyone visits her. Simmons is staying with her. You have nothing to worry about."

Ward sleepily looked over at Trip and gave in to his nudges. He really didn't have the strength to argue, so how could he even make it to see Skye? "Fine. But you wake me up the instant there's news about her."

Trip smiled, a genuine smile, to him for once. "She's in good hands. Get some rest."

…

When Ward wakes up the next day, he finds that Trip hasn't left his room at all; he was fast asleep with the same magazine over his face. He slowly shakes off the tiredness and takes several deep breaths. He's feeling better, not as dazed as the night before. Likely Trip will hold him down again before he's able to get to see Skye, so he manages to shuffle out of bed quietly and slowly get to the door, grabbing hold of objects to steady himself.

Just as he makes it to the door, he feels a strong hand grab his wrist. He groans. "Damnit!" he curses.

"Come on, man," Trip answers, pushing the magazine off his face. "We're both specialists. We're both trained better than that."

"You're worse than Simmons. I've seen how she catches Skye off guard when she tried to get out of bed before. It's like she has a sensor in her brain!"

"Then you should know that we're both able to sense changes in the environment before any sound emerges, so nice try." Trip gets up and loops his arm around his shoulder. "Get back to bed."

"It's the next morning, Trip. I'm going to see her. You're not stopping me."

"Fine, I won't. But she will."

At that cue, the May walks in with a stern look on her face. "Someone's up."

"Just great. I get two specialists making sure I'm tied down before I get shipped off," Ward muttered. "Like I told Trip, I'm going to see her, and you're not going to stop me."

"I'm not."

Trip and Ward blinked their eyes in surprise. "What?" they both asked in unison.

"I'm not going to stop you," she repeated. "And as much as I want to destroy you myself, what you did to save Skye at the risk of your own life earlier, it at least warrants you some time to say your good byes."

He watched her as she coolly stared at him. This was as close to as a complement that he was probably ever going to get from May, so he nodded. "I didn't do it for myself; I did it for her."

"Then let's go."

With that, Trip wraps an arm from Ward around him so Ward could lean his weight on him as he trudged down the bright-lit hallway. After what seemed like a mile of walking, they finally arrived at Skye's room, where Simmons was still sitting with her. She looked up and got out of her seat, silently acknowledging Ward to sit.

The rest of the team left after Ward plopped down to his seat, never releasing his attention to acknowledge that they left. Grief marred his features as tears started to form in his eyes. The dizziness he has had now faded into such clarity. The girl lying motionlessly in front of him has risked everything, _everything_, to save him, save SHIELD, and begin destroying HYDRA. She knew of the consequences of going in to take down the facility, and she knew what she found out about him, and yet she still gave her all, her life, for him and SHIELD. It was a sacrifice that she was willing to make from the beginning.

He brushed his hand over her cheek hesitantly, gently, as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. Minutes of silence went by as he watched her steady breathing through her nasal cannula.

"You shouldn't have done that," he whispered. "It wasn't worth it—I'm not worth it."

He held her hand and gently rubbed it with his thumb. "And I know, I know—you'll say, 'yes, you are worth it,' just like how you said before that I 'am' a good man. It still amazes me how you can see the good in people."

More minutes past as he just sat there, mesmerized at her sleeping form. He replayed the events of the past couple weeks leading up to yesterday, not failing to feel the tightness of guilt in his chest as he did so. He knew, he KNEW, that as soon as HYDRA was revealed, there was no going back to the man he pretended to be—to the man he _became_, his cover. If only he didn't have to pretend in the beginning, if only he didn't have to choose to revert back to his old self. If only he stuck to his guns earlier, leaving HYDRA as soon as the events of Italy happened. Scratch that—if only he came clean in the beginning to Coulson, telling him the real reason why he was in the team. Then maybe, Coulson would've helped him repay his debts to Garrett without anyone getting hurt, and HYDRA wouldn't have its uprising and SHIELD be destroyed.

"You did it to save SHIELD, one soul at a time. Even when some of us aren't worth it. Even when it's too late for some for us. You wanted me to start over…everyone to start over," he continued. "Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for finding Elliot for me. You're the only one who gets me, and the only one who will. I will never forget how you came into my life turning it upside down, where in reality, you were actually turning it into something right. Something worth living for. I don't know when it started, but eventually, my original mission in Coulson's team disappeared—you became my mission. You became the sole reason why I stayed in SHIELD and HYDRA—in SHIELD to protect you, and in HYDRA to keep you protected. But either way, I know I screwed up…big time."

The sunlight now pouring through the crevices of the blinds to the hospital window was an indicator of how close to noon the day was approaching. Hours must've past, but Ward barely noticed. He was transfixed with focusing on her that he didn't even notice nurses coming into feed him water and check Skye's vitals; he just sat there.

"You said we can start over. I want that more than anything is the world. But I want to do it the right way. I finally know who I want to be [sees Coulson, the team, and Agent Hill coming to the door at the corner of his eye]. I want to be just Ward, just Grant to you. I can never return to SHIELD as an agent, but I can still be by your side while you serve them."

"I have to go away, probably for a long time, and I won't be able to see you or protect you. Coulson promised to take care of you and Elliot, and I'm grateful. He's been so generous to me and not just for today's events. He allowed me to explain and he was willing to listen. I never had that with Garrett, and probably never will have that again when I'm away.

"When—_if_ I return, stay well and do what you love best in SHIELD, and be happy. I never told you this, but I'm proud of you, for all you've done and for all you've become. I wasn't much of an SO to you, but you have exceeded so many expectations as an agent that I know you'll do fine without me. Don't lose that faith you have in people."

He starts getting up as he feels Trip walking to his side. Ward rubs Skye's hand again and promises, "I will make this right, and we can start over…one day."

He leaned down and kissed her, in the faintest of whispers:

"I love you, Skye."

He got up and staggered towards the doorway with Trip, where he was greeted by a sympathetic Coulson and a hesitantly cautious team. Ward didn't bother straightening his gaze at them. "Let's go," he said, starting to walk past them.

They were so taken aback by Ward's surrender that they didn't notice the small twitching of Skye's fingers.

A small whimpering was heard just as he reached the hallway, causing him and the rest of the team to freeze and turn to her direction.

Skye was awake.

…


	6. Chapter 6 - Missed You

**Chapter 6: Missed You**

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay in update; this one is a little difficult to write, and I'm still getting over the first two episodes of Season 2 O_O. Seriously, this season is already SO MUCH DARKER. But at long last, here's the next chapter! There will be one more after this one. Fluffiness ensued.

…

Ward's breath caught in his throat as the sleeping beauty before him started to wake. He all but threw himself out of Trip's grip and dashed over to her side. "Skye?"

She groaned in pain as she tried to move. The bed strap was holding her abdomen down to prevent her from moving the surgical wound on her back. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.

"Skye?" he whispered. "Don't move. You're in the hospital."

Her glazed eyes met his, and the familiar tears started forming in his eyes again; this time they were tears of happiness. He bit down on his lip to prevent the burst of emotions from escaping him as he brushed her cheek with one hand.

She leaned into his touch and cracked a small smile at him. She opened her mouth attempting to speak when a group of doctors and nurses hurriedly entered the room.

"Okay, everyone out! She needs to be checked over!"

Ward reluctantly pulled aside and walked out. Another 30 minutes later, the doctor came out and reported, "She'll be just fine. Normally someone with her type of injuries wouldn't wake up for days, but this is really a miracle."

Coulson glanced between each other at the news. No one said it, but they figured the GH325 that was injected into Skye before was responsible for the rapid healing rate she's experiencing.

"What will happen to her now?" Simmons asked.

"We'll keep her around for several more days, and if she's improved enough then, she can go home with the medications we'll give her."

"Thank you doctor," Coulson said, nodding as the doctor left.

The team, with Elliot following, started migrating into the room, but Ward beat them to it first. He rushed in and was at her side instantly, sitting down again. "Hey."

Groggy confusion fell on Skye's face as she blinked her sleepy eyes several times. Something felt a little off in the surroundings, and she noticed a small squad of armed men outside the door.

Armed men?

"Why are they…?" she started.

"Skye?" Ward asked.

Coulson glanced at the direction of her gaze. "Do you remember what happened?"

She lay back at her pillows and closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back to her.

_Servers uploading._

_Walls crashing. _

_Ward saving her._

_Ward and Elliot._

_Garrett pointing a gun at—_

"Ward!?" she yelped, trying to sit up, only to fall back, wincing in pain. The entire team hunkered over her bed, trying to calm her down. "Where's Grant?"

"Hey, hey, I'm here," he answered, gently holding her arms down. "I'm fine. See?"

Skye took several deep breaths and glanced around again, her eyes finally finding those of her worried teammates. Everything seemed peaceful again after a few more moments once the resurfaced memories were suppressed back down.

"And Elliot?"

"I'm right here, Skye," Elliot answers, stepping forward. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"You had us so worried," Coulson softly said, reaching down to brush her hair.

She nodded before casting her attention to Ward again, focusing on his worried expression. "Ward," she asked. She glanced him over, finally taking notice of his exhausted appearance. "Why are you wearing scrubs?"

Ward shifted in his see awkwardly and glanced away, trying to think of how to respond. When it was clear that he didn't want to respond, it was Fitz who spoke up from next to him.

"You bled out too severely," Fitz answered. "You needed a transfusion, but since the hospital ran out of your blood type, Ward offered to donate you his."

Skye stared at Ward, who was trying to avoid her gaze. "Ward?"

He still didn't respond, only catching glimpse of her from the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure how to handle her reaction towards him.

"I—I'm just glad that you're feeling better, Skye," Ward answered, slowly getting up. "You need your rest, and I—"

"Ward! Wait!" she called.

He stopped in his tracks.

"Stay with me for a bit, please?"

He glanced at Coulson, who just nodded his head and silently urged the rest of the team to leave. As soon as they left, he sat back down in his chair. Silence fell among them both as neither was sure of what to say first.

"Skye…"

"Thank you."

Ward looked confused. "Huh?"

"Thank you, for saving me. You pulled me out from the facility, you brought me to Coulson, and you risked your life giving me your blood," she spoke, all in a quick whisper.

He gave her a weak smile before patting her hand. "I should be the one thanking _you_, Skye," he replied. "Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for finding Elliot for me, and thank you…thank you, for being _you_."

"Being me?"

He took her hand in his, squeezing it for assurance. "Yes; you being there for those who need you most, and always looking for the truth. You're always willing to see the good in people, and wanting people to start over, even when they don't see it."

He looks away and sighs, causing confusion in Skye. He turns back to her with a serious look on his face. "Never do that again."

"Huh?"

"At the facility earlier. You shielded me from the bullet that was meant for me. You should've let me have it. You can't take the punishment for my crimes."

"I didn't do it to pay for your crimes," Skye said, softly, but sternly. "It was never about that. I did it because it would've robbed your chance for starting over. I couldn't let Garrett hurt you."

"It wouldn't be the first time…"

"You big idiot," Skye said, straining to sit up but promptly fell back. "Can't you see? You would've fallen trapped into what Garrett wanted all along, and that was to destroy you…literally. If you didn't self-destruct from all the punishments he gave you, he would've finished the job himself. And he almost did. I couldn't let that happen."

"It's not about him destroying me," Ward replied. "I could handle it. But, it's YOU getting hurt, getting shot again. Don't you understand Skye? [brushes her cheek] If you hadn't survived…how was I able to start over? My life would be over. There was no point in starting over without you."

It was several tense seconds before Ward shrunk back to his seat and continued. "When I heard how Garrett was the one who ordered you shot, I was done. I wanted to be done. You were so close to leaving me, and that was something I never wanted to experience again. And now, this time—it was like that nightmare playing all over again. I was afraid of losing you more than I feared HYDRA coming out and killing me."

"But you don't have to be afraid anymore, Grant," Skye said. "See? I'm fine. You won't get of me so easily. As long as you're willing to start over, like I said, I'll be here to support you. That will not change."

Ward shifted when he heard her call his name, his first name. It felt so tender, so sincere, coming from her. That gesture alone allowed him to feel like he can overcome anything that will come his way while he's away. Still, he can't help but feel doubtful in ever seeing her again after he leaves with Agent Hill's men to serve his time. But, he has to believe that someday, he will have successfully started over, and his life can turn upward again. He weakly smiled, replying, "You're too good for me. If I come back, I want to start over with you…the right way, just like you said earlier at the facility."

"I'll be here _when_ you come back," she emphasized. "I'll wait for you."

"Promise?" he smiles.

She smiles back. "I promise."

At that moment, Coulson and May step in, with some of Agent Hill's former agents behind them at the door. "Time to go," Coulson softly said.

Skye sees the armed agents and shakes her head and grabs Ward's hand, pleading, "No, please! Just a little while longer?"

"Skye, he has too—"

"He'll be away for a long time, what does a little while longer here hurt? We barely had a chance to talk, and we have so much to say!"

Ward pats her hand and starts standing up. "Skye…"

She tugged at his hand. "No, Grant, please! You'll be held up for god knows how long, and they can't even wait an extra evening? He's not going anywhere; he'll be here with me!"

May steps in. "Skye."

"Please?" She looks around to Coulson and May and tries to sit up. She winced in pain and suddenly gripped Ward's hand much harder, prompting the people in the room to come to her side. She shakes her head. "One more night, please?"

Coulson sighs and smoothed his hand over her head. He'd much rather argue against it, but he knows that Ward wouldn't leave Skye's side. He glances at Ward, who showed such concern over the pain Skye was in. "One more night. That's all you get." With that, Coulson gives Ward a hard look and leaves the room abruptly.

Once the team is gone, Ward and Skye turned back to each other.

"Stay with me tonight?" Skye asked.

"Nowhere else I'd rather be," Ward smiled.

Skye pressed the button on her help receiver. A moment later, a nurse shows up. "Is there something you need, miss?"

"Yes; can you please bring some more blankets and extra pillows? It's pretty cold in here," Skye requests.

"Right away, miss." The nurse returns later with a cart full of blankets and a couple extra pillows.

Ward grabbed a few of the linens and started placing them on Skye before she stopped his hand. He pauses, confused at her gesture.

"This will be enough," Skye said. "You take some. You'll be cold with only your scrubs on."

Ward smiles and settles some blankets on Skye before he grabs the extra blankets to wrap around himself and sitting back on the chair.

Skye was so busy figuring out her own blankets that she didn't realize Coulson approached the window to her room watching her. Once Ward felt his presence, he turned, and Coulson's smile instantly turned into an indifferent look. He side-swiped his eyes and nodded at Ward, and he nodded back.

But Skye did notice the momentary exchange between the two men. "What was that about?"

"A warning to not hurt you," Ward said. "I don't blame him."

She smiled. "I know you won't hurt me— intentionally, that is."

He nodded. "Why don't you sleep? I'll take a nap too, and then we can talk some more after some rest."

She nodded and closed her eyes. For the first time in the past couple weeks, she was able to fall asleep relieved, entering the land of dreams with the warm grasp of Ward's hand over hers.

…

When Skye wakes up, it was already the next morning, and she notices two things.

Her pain level has decreased phenomenally.

Ward wasn't there.

She sat up carefully, but frantically. "Ward?" she calls out, looking around.

She looks around some more before setting on a folded piece of paper and wallet set on top of it. She picks up the items and carefully undoes them. The wallet contained Grant Ward's former SHIELD badge, and the letter read:

_Skye,_

_I'm sorry. I chose to leave while you were sleeping. I didn't want you to have to see me dragged away by Agent Hill's men like a dog; better I go willingly without you having to experience it._

_I'm sorry that you didn't get to say good-bye. We both don't know when I'll be coming back. And, yes, as you reminded, __when__ I come back. I believe that now. I know you'll be supporting me in the background. No matter how hard it'll get, I promise you that I'll do everything I can to bring down HYDRA and come back to you. It may take a long time, but you are the force that drives me to be better, start over, and do it right. _

_You said before that __we__ can start over. Together. That is I've been hoping for, more than anything. This was my original SHIELD badge. I want you to hang on to it, so you can have my word that someday I'll come back. I'm coming back to you as just Grant Ward, who will live his own life, and staying by your side. I can't wait until the day when I can see you again, free from the grips of the justice system and HYDRA. Free to be me, with you. _

_Take care of yourself, and one day, I'll see you again._

_Your One and Only,_

_Grant Ward_

Skye folded the letter back up with tears in her eyes. Grant Ward really sucked at writing (let alone saying) good-byes. She quickly brushed them aside when she saw Coulson, May, and Elliot empathetically watching her in the door way.

The emotional tugs at Coulson's heart were naggingly strong, and he couldn't help feel a little bit of guilt seeing Skye so sad. But, he knew that Ward needed to serve his time, and there isn't a "get out of jail free card" in the playbook to use. But maybe there was an extra "chance" card? (Yes, Coulson's obsessed with board games too.)

The tears made their way down Skye's cheeks and she nodded in understanding.

"He'll be back," she stated. "He has to come back."

…


	7. Chapter 7 - Missed No More

**Chapter 7 (Epilogue): Missed No More**

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the lack of updates; been really busy, but I wanted to get this out before I start traveling in the next couple weeks. This is the last chapter; happy ending, as promised. Enjoy!

…

(19 months later)

"Seriously, you guys didn't need to go through all this for me! It's not convenient to go shopping, let alone plan a party, while underground," Skye said.

Simmons smiled and gives her a hug. "Oh, but it's you _birthday_! And it's no problem at all."

"Simmons is right," Trip said, stringing in the last of the streamers of the dining room before getting down. "It's another year, and a fresh one to start over."

Skye sighs. She loves celebrating birthdays, she really does, but not when it's her own. She always felt like with each birthday, it was possibly the last one she'll ever see, especially in this field of work. Still, she tries to make the most of it for her herself and most of all for her team mates. Trip was right. It _is_ about starting over. These past almost two years were filled with the biggest changes of her life, good and bad. She found SHIELD, she found family, and she found love. She also found heartache, betrayal, and anger.

But most of all, she found hope. Even when SHIELD was in shambles, even when they are on the run, there was hope. SHIELD is being rebuilt, her family has become more tight-knit, and she has become stronger—emotionally and physically.

She looks around the dining room and smiles at the colorful streamers, balloons, and sparkly decorations that her team has managed to put together. This was what having a family was like—they stuck with you through thick and thin, and they won't let you take a fall without someone right beside you. And on happier days like this, this calls for endless amounts of laughter, smiles, and warm hugs.

"Okay, we're ready!" Fitz called out, peaking his head through the kitchen. "Skye, take a seat!"

She grinned and obeyed, sitting at the head of the table. May and Coulson sat down next to each other and each grabbed a bunch of sparklers and started waving them to her. For Coulson it was expected, but to see May also open up and join in the similar glee as Coulson, it was astonishingly adorable.

"Happy…"

"…birthday to you!"

Their team broke out into song as soon as Fitz carried the cake out with sparkler candles fizzing. Skye beamed from ear to ear. Growing without a family she never had the privilege of enjoying such birthday parties, carrying a cake out, candles, decorations, and singing. This was a perfect way to re-live that type of childhood memory.

"…happy birthday to Skye! Happy birthday to YOU!" they all sang. At the end of the song, the cake was placed down in front of her, and all of her friends cheered, popping noise makers and throwing confetti everywhere.

"Make a wish!" Trip cheered.

She looked around her team and hesitated for a moment, taking in the family around her. She felt moisture forming at the corners of her eyes, and she never felt so happy to be a part of this ragtag family. From adjusting with her on the team, to saving her, to being by her side for months as she recovered from her gunshot wound to her back, she can look forward to having them continue being a part of her life, and her in theirs. Closing her eyes, she whispered her wish silently and blew out the candles.

"Happy birthday Skye!" Simmons ran over to give her another bear hug before handing her a large, flat box with a mesh bow around its white wrapping paper. "From me and Fitz."

Skye quirked her brow. "You _and_ Fitz? Are you guys…?"

Simmons blushed, walking over to her seat next to Fitz, who shared the same reaction. Fitz wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled. "We're together."

Skye squealed. "I knew it! I'm so happy for you! [leans over and whispers in Fitz's ear] Told you Simmons only loves you, not Trip." Fitz shared a relieved and happy smile with her and nodded.

She unwraps her present quickly and found… "OH MY GOSH! Seriously!? The latest ASUS laptop?"

"Fitz found it, says that if you could do so much with the laptop you had, imagine what you can with the newest model," Simmons answered. "Plus, you need something that keeps up with all the cat videos you watch."

Skye laughed. She next opened a moderate sized box from May, who gave her a small smile. "Happy birthday, Skye."

"A personalized training bracelet?"

"It will be your first one," May explained, smiling. "It'll track all your vitals, core temperature, and sleep patterns down to the slightest movement within your lungs."

Skye walked over to her and hugged May, catching her off guard for a moment. "Thanks so much May."

She returned the hug, saying, "You're welcome, Skye." She didn't tell her that it also had a tracking device in it, courtesy of FitzSimmons, to ensure that she is safely watched when she's out on missions.

Coulson smiled as he passed his gift to Skye, and she curiously examined it. It was just a small box, the size of a smartphone, with a red bow tied to it. "Open it," he urged, casting a knowing gaze to May next to him.

Skye furrowed her brow in confusion. Either her dear A.C. gave her something from his collection of action figures, or some other tech gadget. She carefully opened it and pulled out a piece of paper, which confused her even more, with words that said:

_Turn around_.

She does, and as soon as she did, she almost stumbled back to fall into her chair. Grant Ward was standing there, in his signature black outfit, smiling her. Tears formed at the edges of her eyes as their eyes met.

"Skye," he breathed, walking over to her slowly.

She had to blink her eyes a few times before coming to the realization of what she was seeing was real.

"Ward!" she cried, running over and throwing her arms around him.

He instantly responds with his arms encircling her waist. "Happy birthday," he softly said, kissing the top of her hair.

"You're back," she whispered, afraid to let go.

Ward's arms tightened around her waist as he nuzzled his head in her hair. "I missed you too."

Skye released herself from him and smiled before turning to Coulson. "How…?"

"The first part of his sentence is over," Coulson replied, standing up and smiling in return. The rest of the team also started congregating around them as they continued.

"First part?" she asked.

"I'm done, Skye," Ward answered. "For now. [looks at the other team members] You guys are the next part."

"I don't get it," Fitz said, with Simmons next to him shrugging.

Coulson faced his team. "He's done serving his sentence from the detention center. Ward's been instrumental in providing intel for building our resources against HYDRA in the past months. Now, he'll be serving the rest of his sentence here with us, to take down HYDRA once and for all. He'll be able to be the person who he wants to be. Plus….some limitations." Coulson nudged his head down to Ward's hand, and he held it up; a black tracking bracelet was clamped on his wrist similar to Skye's from ages ago, but with more modifications.

"I'm not doing this as an agent, but as just someone who wants to start over," he explained, smiling down at Skye. "And doing it right."

Skye held his arm and beamed. "I'm proud of you," she said.

He beamed back. "I couldn't have done this without you believing in me. [eyed her seriously] I didn't get you a present though."

"YOU are my present, Ward," Skye affirmed, poking his shoulder. "I thought I wouldn't see you for a very, very long time."

He stood away from her for a moment. "I thought I would never see you again either. I said I wanted to be Grant Ward, just Grant Ward to you. I found that I was really 'Grant Ward' when I was on the bus. I _became_ my cover, and I can't go back to being the person I thought I was. [holds her arms] Only if you have me. [looks at the rest of the team] And you guys too."

Coulson smiled, while the younger team members nodded, softly smiling. Even May, despite her hesitancy on her face, dipped her head and agreed.

"We can't change the past," Coulson said. "But we can shape our future. I'm glad you finally figured out who you are, and who you want to be."

Fitz walked over and clapped Ward's back too. "And I'm glad you are not truly evil, Ward," Fitz replied. "I'm so glad."

Ward's smile faltered as he stepped away. "I'm so, so sorry Fitz, and all of you. I know this was more than I can ever hope for, and I've screwed up so much…I never bothered to question things earlier—"

"Ward, bro," Fitz interrupted. "We heard you. We all learned about what happened to you, your brother Elliot, and Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. Like Coulson said, we can't change what happened, but we can use that to move forward. Let's not let that past define your future."

Ward searched Fitz's eyes for any masking of his behavior, but all he saw was genuine empathy in his friend's eyes. It's the same faith that Elliot has in him. "Yes. Well said, Fitz. And thank you for believing in me too."

"But don't think we don't have our eyes on you," May threatened. "Because there won't be a do over if you mess up again."

"Understood," Ward answered, appreciating May's duty to protect the team.

Skye hugged him again. "My birthday wish came true," she sighed.

Ward grinned. "To see me?"

Skye pulled away and smirked. "No. [Ward pouts in confusion, but she pokes him in the chest] I wanted things to go back to being like the family we had on the bus. The good times, the closeness of our team. It came true! Plus, we got Trip in the process!"

Trip chuckled. "Yeah. And you're not getting rid of me that easily either!"

The team laughed. Coulson was the first to pause, asking, "So, cake?"

"Yes, cake!" Skye said. "Let's get cake!"

"Actually," Ward started, grabbing hold of her hand before she went back to her seat. "I may not have brought you a physical present, but I did bring something…someone, rather, who would love to see you."

"Who?"

From the kitchen doorway, sprung…

"Surprise, Skye!"

Elliot jumped forward, grinning and walking over.

"Elliot!" Skye yelped, releasing herself from Ward and giving him a friendly hug. "You came too!"

"I never got a chance to say thank you," Elliot said, smiling. "In this past year, after me recovering and you recovering, after Coulson helped keep me hidden from any more possible HYDRA threats, I never got to adequately say thank you. [short hold of her shoulders] You saved me and so many people that day at horrible place, and you found Grant for me, something I've wanted to do for many years. I can never say thank you enough."

Skye looked down at her feet before back up to Ward, then to Elliot. "I know how much you two brothers love each other. Grant talks about how much he misses you, and I'm just glad that you two found each other again."

Ward gave Elliot a pat on the back. "We both have Skye to thank for this. And this [points to team]. None of us are the same ever since we met you, and we don't know how we can move forward without you now. You're stuck with us, Skye."

"A family like this is all I ever wanted," she said, tearing up. "And you all are very important parts of it. I would never change anything for the world."

Simmons nodded and wrapped her arms around her friend for a reassuring hug. "We'll always be a family," she promises.

Skye eagerly nods her head and glances around at everyone before resuming, "But yes, cake!"

The entire team plus Ward and Elliot settled back down on the table again, happily enjoying the cake that Simmons baked. At some point, while she wasn't looking, Ward grabbed a whole spoonful of frosting and mushed it on Skye's nose by surprise. She froze for a moment before making a surprised face and giggling, with the whole team following suit after at the silliness. Elliot and Trip joined in on the actions of caking Skye more, and the others just laughed. Coulson and May didn't participate, but they did eagerly show their amusement in the process. The atmosphere definitely felt different, lighter, a new lighter feeling that Skye hadn't felt in months…frankly, for over a year now. Things are finally heading towards the right direction, she hopes.

After cake and more laughs, Trip suddenly stood up. "And the grand finale…_my_ present!" he says.

"Oh?" Skye arched her brow.

"I saved my present for last!" Trip exclaimed, enthusiastically. "Because the best ones are the last ones. Let's go outside!"

Skye chuckled and Ward shook his head in amusement. The entire team followed suit outside of the underground base, which was right in the middle of the Rocky Mountain wilderness. The cool night air boded well with the clear night sky and moon.

Trip was hauling a huge box with a cart before them as they stopped outside the clearing of the woods. He stopped the team about 10 feet away from. "Good, this area has no trees. We'll need this. Fitz, hand me a flashlight will you?" Trip asked.

Fitz complied and soon, Trip cracked open the box. He pulled up a tablet and activated some signals before walking over to Skye. "Happy birthday, Skye. You're always like a sister to me, and as a big brother, I hope you have a good start to a new and better year this year." With that, he pressed the remote in his hands.

Instantly, low level fireworks and sparklers exploded and flashed in beautiful arrays of blue, red, and other assortments of colors. The entire team looked in awe, and Skye squealed in excitement. "This is so cool!" she exclaimed. She ran up and gave him a friendly hug. "Thank you so much Trip. You're such a cool older brother. Thank you so much for always being there for me and the team."

"No problem, Skye," he said, hugging in return. "I think we're due for some fun around this place, hm?"

"This is awesome, Trip," Ward said, grinning at him. "How did you manage to get fireworks of all things here?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Trip answered, winking. "I wanted to get ones that shot up into the sky, but that would be a dead giveaway of this base, which we can't afford. So, street level ones will do."

Ward laughed. He wrapped an arm around Skye's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, and he noticed she didn't mind. She glanced up at him and laid her head on his chest. "This is the best day I've had in a long time," she sighed.

Ward smiled. "Mine too. I never thought I would be able to stand here with you and the rest of the team enjoying a night like this."

Skye lifts her head and shrugs out of his embrace, facing him. "I've got something for you."

He looked confused. "Oh?"

She pulled out an object from her pocket and handed it to him. Upon taking it in his hands, Ward smiled. "My SHIELD badge."

She faintly smiled before making a disappointed frown on her face. "You suck at saying good-byes, you know that?"

Ward turned his head away slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want one of the last images of you for me to see is your sad and disappointed look on your face when I was to be taken away. I knew I had to leave, and I'd rather leave with an image of you comfortable and content. I didn't know how long I was going to be away for. I needed that assurance from you."

Skye tugged at his arm. "Either way, it hurt too to not know when you'll be back. It has been a tough year trying to take down HYDRA, and it's—different, without you around. SO and not."

Ward looked her from his side and sighed. "Thinking of you and those days on the Bus, how dedicated you are of the cause to rebuild SHIELD, to hear you recovering well, that helped me through those days away."

"I missed those days on the Bus," Skye says, sighing again.

"Those days are gone, but it doesn't mean we can't make new ones, together," Ward smiled, tugging her back into his embrace. "What do you say?"

Skye beamed again, an overwhelming sense of relief and hope emerging from her heart. "This really is the best birthday ever." She wrapped and arm around his waist and leaned into his hold on her, melding herself into his comfort.

The rest of the team "oooed" and "ahhhed" as the small fireworks went off. Fitz and Simmons jumped to join Trip and light up some personally, with Fitz then screaming a high-pitched scream when one went off accidentally when he wasn't planning on it. The entire team laughed at the sight and one by one, they joined the fun.

As the fireworks continued to be set off, Skye smiled, and Ward smiled back at her. There was so much to catch up on, and stories of their time apart will be kept for another day. It will be a long road ahead of them before HYDRA is completely taken down, but they are both happy that amidst the chaos in their lives and the world right now, they can still start over.

THE END

…

**Author's Note**: And that's it! Thanks for reading this story! This was an alternate ending to my other story "Final Sacrifice", and hopefully this time, no tears were shed at this ending? Happy Skyewarding, and yes, THEY WILL BE TOGETHER. I don't care what Season 2 suggests, but I am a SkyeWard fan, all the way.

'Til next time!

~ Hope and Perseverance


End file.
